The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-06-21
THE "VOWS OF LUDWIG
TRAGIC ENDING OF A STRANGE MA
MA or BAVARlAN MAlOENS.
Two Young Baronesses Commit Suicide
at the Very Spot Where the Mad King
Drowned Himself-History Of "A Pecu-
liar Mania.

| Drowned Himself-History of "A Pecu-
liar Mania.
a curious feminine mania is called TO
| mind by the recent tragic news from Mu-
mich. Two young ladies Of that city
barOnesses-have committed suicide by
drowning in the Starnberg lake, at the
very spot where the mad King Louis
drowned himself last year The names
Of these ladies are familiar TO all who
have been admitted 10 the best Munich
society. They were sisters, aged % and
| 2G and were famed for their beauty.
| Their family is very noble and wealthy
one The mania TO which they fell vic
Tins had its origin fifteen or sixteen years
ago. The young king was then ut the
height of his romantic fame. His ideally
| handsome likeness was 10 be seen every
where and everywhere you heard talk Of
his poetic melancholy, his romantic spirit,
and his confirmed cclibacy. Naturally he
became an object Of intense interest to
sentimental young ladies,
4 SILLY TALE
Presently, among the other absurd tales
that were told Of him, there went abroad
the story that he spent most Of his time
in wandering about his kingdom in dis
guise He haunted shady lanes and rO-
mantle spots, seeking for some fair maiden
who should be his chosen bride Well,
this silly tale was believed and set thou
sands Of hearts to fluttering. Each maiden
wondered if she would be his choice if he
CHANGED to meet her under the lime trees
And she hesitated to plight her troth to
her village lover until she should have had
a chance 10 meet the king.
So it came to pass that in the village Of
BertOldshOfen. in the romantic mountain
region Of southern Bavaria, the maidens
formed themselves into a sort Of sister
hood They pledged themselves to each
other not to marry until they were sure
the king had passed them by Each was
10 wear his likeness constantly near her
bosom. and each was TO choose for herself
secret bower where at evcntide she
should await his coming. A more silly
scheme, probably, never was devised
by the silly brains Of love sick school girls.
But more than score Of Bertoldshofcn
maidens entered intOit with the zeal and de-
voton Of nuns The fame Of this sisterhood
spread TO other villages, 10 towns, and
cties-nay, to Munich itself Rustic
wenches and the petted beauties of princely
palaces alike caught the mad disease.
Within year not less than 10000 young
women, all through Bavaria, had taken
upon themselves the "vows Of Ludwig
and were waiting FOR their king.
FREED FROM THEIR vows
In time many Of these girls imagined
no nd I.s-I ]. Ia
king. and, thus freed from their vows. ac-
cepted humber husbands Others grew
tired OF waiting and broke their vows.
Still others waited and waited In vain,
until all other suitors had passed them by;
and they are waiting still and will be
waiting all their lives But as the ranks
Of the original sisterhOOds were thinned
new recruits were added and "the brides
of Ludwig" were still counted by thou
sands It is estimated that there were no
less than 1000 Of them at the time Of his
suicide. When the news Of that tragedy
became known they forthwith put on
mourning and called themselves ''the wild
Ows of Ludwig" Many Of them took sol
emn vows Of life long celibacy, rs "A token
Of faithfulucss TO his memory.
Among these latter two of the most de
voted were the young harnesses Of Nh
Mich to whom we have referred They
constantly wore the deepest mourning,
secluded themselves from all social pleas
uros. and drove themselves into confirmed
melancholy Every week they went to
Starnberg and threw garlands Of flowers
into the water at the very spot where the
king was drowned. Finally they deter
mined 10 share his fate They arrayed
themselves rs brides, even to donning
wells and orange blossoms, rowed ont into
the lake to the spot where he was drowned,
and threw themselves into the water.
Their bodies were found next day, clasped
in each others arms, and with portraits
Of the .nad king next their hearts. Paris
Cor. Chicago Tribune.